Pin pickup apparatus



April 9, 1957 G. A. MONTOOTH 2,788,212

PIN PICKUP APPARATUS Filed Nov. 19, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 April '9, 1957 G. A. MONTOOTH ,2

PIN PICKUP APPARATUS Filed Nov. 19, 1954 Sheets-Sheet 2 JET/2212 0;"

6w edWazziooi/z G. A. MONTOOTH PIN PICKUP APPARATUS April 9, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 19, 1954 Z a/ [OOZL PEN PICKUP APPARATUS George A. Montooth, Long Beach, Calif., assignor to The Brunswick-Ballro-Collender Company, a corporation of Delaware Application November 19, 1954, Serial No. 469,988

9 Claims. (Cl. 2713-42) This invention relates to bowling pin handling apparatus and, more particularly, to pin pickup apparatus having mechanism associated therewith and operable thereby for determining the presence or absence of standing bowling pins on an alley bed.

In the past, automatic pinsetters have been provided with means for determining the presence or absence of bowling pins standing on the alley bed subsequent to the rolling of a ball. These mechanisms have taken the form of switches that may be operated by the engagement of a member such as a pressure plate with the top of a standing bowling pin. These switches have been so arranged in circuits as to indicate whether a strike or a gutter ball occurred after the rolling of a first ball in a frame as well as to give a visual indication to a bowler of the pins that remain standing. The use of such pressure plates has rendered it diflicult to set pins through the openings in the deck frame structure and thus has required the movement of the frame structure supporting the pin pickup mechanism to an out-of-the-way position or a design of the pressure plate which causes the plate or parts thereof to move to an out-of-the-way position when pins are set through the deck frame structure.

An object of this invention is to provide new and im proved bowling pin pickup apparatus having pin detecting mechanism associated therewith and operable by the pin pickup members which engage a pin.

Another object of the invention is to provide pin pickup apparatus including a pair of elongated pin pickup members movable toward and away from each other for movement into and out of engagement with a bowling pin disposed therebetween and switch means associated with one of said pair of pickup members for detecting the presence or absence of a bowling pin between said members by contact or lack of contact, respectively, of said one member with the bowling pin.

Another object of the invention is to provide pin pickup apparatus including a pair of scissors-type pin pickup arms mounted for movement toward and away from each other to respectively engage and release a bowling pin disposed therebetween, one of said arms being mounted for relative movement with respect to its support when it engages a pin, and switch means associated with the lastreferred to arm and actuated by engagement of said arm with a bowling pin and relative movement thereof for determining the presence of a bowling pin between said pair of arms and the absence of a pin, if no relative movement of the arm occurs.

The objects of the invention generally set forth, together with other ancillary advantages, are attained by the construction and arrangement shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view looking toward the rear of the pin pickup apparatus and showing the pin pickup arms in open position with the upper and lower frames broken away;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view looking toward the front of the pin pickup apparatus and showing the pin pickup ted tates Patent 2 arms in open position with the upper and lower frames broken away;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view looking toward the front of a pin pickup apparatus and showing the arms in engaged relation with a pin with the upper and lower frames broken away;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view looking toward the rear of the pin pickup apparatus showing the pin pickup arms in engaged relation with a pin with the upper and lower frames broken away;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the pivotally mounted pin pickup arm and the switch means associated therewith;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the pin pickup arm shown in Fig. 5 with the top of the switch removed;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken along the line 7-7 in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the relationship of the movable pin pickup arm and its mounting member after engagement with the pin.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail an illustrative embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exempliiication of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, my improved pin pickup apparatus is of a type that may be used with a generally triangular frame structure which is normally mounted in a bowling machine directly above the pin spots on the alley bed and is adapted to be raised and lowered during the operation of the bowling machine. Reference may be had to the application of George A. Montooth and William J. Schlitt, Jr., Serial No. 14,358, now Patent No. 2,705,146, granted March 29, 1955, for a showing of such a triangular frame structure.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the frame structure comprises an upper frame or grid 1 and a lower frame or grid 2 vertically spaced apart and having my improved pin pickup apparatus positioned therebetween. The frames may be provided with vertical openings therethrough which correspond to the conventional pin spots on a bowling alley, as shown in my Patent No. 2,616,693, granted November 4, 1952. Adjacent each of the openings a vertical post 3 is disposed vertically between the upper frame 1 and the lower frame 2.

Inasmuch as the mechanism associated with each of the vertical openings in the frame structure is identical, the description of only one of such mechanisms is given.

The vertical post 3 is mounted in an upstanding lug 4 on the frame 2 and is in slidable engagement with the upper frame 1 by means of a recessed spool 5 which engages the upper plate 1 for movement therewith and which slides on the vertical post 3. Stop nuts 5 on the threaded upper end of the post 3 limit upward movement of the frame 1 and spool 5 relative to post 3.

The lower end of the post 3 has a pair of wing members 6 and 7, which may be in the form of castings, rotatably mounted thereon and held in vertical position on the post by a washer 8 fitted around the lower end of the post immediately above the upstanding lug 4 on the lower frame 2. The wing member 6 is provided with an upper ear 1t) and a lower ear 11 which are bored to receive the post 3 and which mount the wing member 6 for rotation on the post. The wing member 7 is provided with similar ears 12 and 13. v

The wing members 6 and 7 are provided with generally spiral portions 15 and 16, respectively, and substantially vertical flat portions 17 and 18, respectively. The spiral portions 15 and 16 function as cam'surfaces or cam tracks and are inclined or curved relative to the axis of the post 3, with all points on each cam track equidistant from the axis of the post 3. The spiral portions are engageable by rollers 20 and 21 carried by a connecting member 22 which is in fixed engagement with'the recessed spool 5 and which'has ears 22a and 22b slidable on the post 3. The vertical portions 17 and 18 are parallel to the axis of post 3.

It will be seen, lookingat Fig. 1, that the rollers 23 and 21 are in their upper position and the frames l and 2 are spaced their greatest distance apart. The rollers 29 and 21 are thus positioned at the upper end of the spiral portions and 16; As the frames 1 and 2 move toward each other, the frame 1 moves the connecting member 22 downwardly to move the rollers and 25. downwardly along the spiral portions 15 and 16 to rotate the wing members 6 and 7 toward each other. As the rollers 29 and 21 move off'the spiral portions 15 and 16, they move onto the generally vertical surfaces 17 and 13 and movement of wing members 6 and 7 towards each other is stopped.

As the frames 1 and 2 move apart from each other, the rollers 20 and 21 will move upwardly off the vertical surfaces 17 and 1-8 and again onto the spiral portions 15 and 16. A spring 25 is disposed around the vertical post .3 and fastened to members 26 and 27 on the wing members 6 and 7, respectively, for causing the wing members to move away from each other as the rollers 20 and 22 are elevated to their upper position by movement apart of the frames 1 and 2.

The wing member 6 has an elongated pin pickup arm indicated generally at 30 secured thereto. This arm as shown in the drawing may be formed of a U-shaped channel member 31 which is rigidly connected to the wing member 6 and which has a strip 32 of resilient but relatively firm material disposed therein for engagement with the neck portion of a standing bowling pin.

The wing member 7 is provided with a pin pickup arm indicated generally at 35 which is pivotally mounted to the wing member. The pin pickup arm 35 comprises a generally U-shaped channel member 36 which terminates a short distance from the Wing member 7 and which has upper and lower plates 37 and 38 connected to said terminating end of the channel member 36. The ends of plates 37 and 38 are pivotally mounted to the wing member 7 by a pin The channel member 36 may also have a strip of material 41 positioned therein which is similar to the strip of material 32.

The wing member 7 is provided with a diverging flange 1 portion 42 which, as shown in Figs. 5-8, is formed with a recess 4-3 for receiving one end of a spring 44 which reacts between the base of the recess 43 and a switch actuating member 44 which extends vertically alongside the arm mounting plates 37 and 38 and which has an under-turned portion 45 secured to the lower plate 38, as by welding. The spring 44 urges the pin pickup arm 35 to an outer limit position as determined by engagement of the switch actuating member 44' with an abutmerit 46 formed on the wing member 7. It will be seen from the foregoing that the pin pickup arm 35 is mounted for relative movement with respect to the wing member 7.

An L-shaped vertically disposed plate St} is mounted on the wing member 7 and supports a switch indicated generally at 51 which contains a pair of normally closed contacts 52 and a pair of normally open contacts 53 (Fig. 6). These contacts have external connectors 54 and 55, respectively. Extending outwardly from the housing for the switch 51 is a switch operating member 56 which is spring-urged outwardly by a spring 57 enclosed within a guide member 58. The outward movement of the switch member 56 is limited by a collar '59 on areduced portion of the switchmember 56. The inner end of the switch member '56 is formed with a cylindrical member 60 of conducting material which closes the contacts 52 when the switch member 56 is in its outer limit position and which opens the contacts 52 and closes the contacts 53 as the switch member 56 is moved inwardly.

The form of the switch 51 shown is only for illustrative purposes and any other suitable form of switch mechanism may be provided, the important function being to have a pair of normally closed contacts and a pair of normally open contacts, the open and closed relationship of the contacts being changed upon movement of the switch member 56.

The switch member 56 is positioned adjacent the switch actuating member 44. In response to pivotal movement of the pickup arm 35 relative to wing member 7 when the former engages a pin 31a, the switch member 56 will be moved inwardly against spring 57 to change the relationship between the contacts 52 and the contacts 53.

it will be seen from the foregoing that pin pickup apparatus has been provided wherein a pair of scissorstype pin pickup arms are normally held in open diverging position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by spring 25 and are moved to pin engaging position by closing movement be tween the frames or grids 1 and 2 and lowering movement of the rollers 20 and 21, the position of engagement with a pin being shown in Figs. 3 and 4. When the pin pickup arm 35 engages the neck of a standing bowling pin, the arm will be stopped from further movement. However, the wing member 7 will continue to move a short distance sufficient to cause the switch actuating member 44 to operate the switch member 56 and change the relationship between the contacts 52 and 53. If a pin is not standing, the arm 35 will not be moved relative to the switch member 56 and the relation of the contacts 52 and 53 will not be changed.

Thus, the contacts 52 associated with each pair of pin pickup arms may be connected in a suitable circuit which may be designated a strike circuit so that if the movably mounted pin pickup arm associated with each opening in the frame structure does not engage a pin, the closed condition of the contacts 52 will not change and a strike will be indicated. Contact of any movable pin pickup arm 35 with a pin will open its contacts 52 to break the strike circuit. The contacts 53 may be connected in a circuit whereby if all contacts are closed, the presence of ten pins would be indicated to indicate a gutter ball or a suitable pin indicator could be connected to each pair of contacts 53 to visually indicate the presence of a bowling pin and thus give a visual indication of the pins that remain standing after the rolling of a ball.

Quite often a pin has walked some distance off of the pin spot and has become an off-spot pin. The pickup mechanism will function properly with such a pin since the connecting member 22 and the rollers 20 and 21 may rotate with respect to the vertical post 3 so that when one of the pin pickup arms is stopped by engagement of the pin, the entire pin pickup apparatus may swivel about the vertical post to compensate for an off-spot pm.

Although it forms no part of this invention, suitable mechanism may be provided for causing relative movement between the upper frame 1 and the lower frame 2 and reference may be had to my previously referred-to Patent 2,616,693 for such mechanism as well as mechanism for holding the upper and lower frames in their closely-adjacent position. The vertical portions 17 and 18 on the wing members 6 and 7 provide the over-travel necessary for proper operation of the latches such as disclosed in my patent previously referred to.

I claim:

1. In a bowling pinsetter, in combination, upper and lower spaced apart grids movable toward and away from each other, pin pickup apparatus mounted between said grids including a vertically disposed post secured to the lower grid and slidably mounted with respect to the upper grid, a pair of wing members rotatably mounted on the post and extending from opposite sides thereof and each having a cam surface thereon including an upper spiral portion and a lower substantially vertical portion, a pin pickup arm mounted on each of said wing members in oitset relation to said post to form a scissors-type pickup, means pivotally mounting one of. said pin pickup arms for relative movement with respect to its wing member, spring means between said pivotally mounted pin pickup arm and its associated wing member urging the arm away from the wing member to a limit position, a switch box secured to the last mentioned wing member and positioned above the pivotally mounted pin pickup arm, said switch box having two spaced pairs of contacts, a switch member positioned to close one pair of contacts when the pivotally mounted pin pickup arm is in its limit position and close the other pair of contacts when the pivotally mounted pin pickup arm is moved away from its limit position, means operable upon relative movement be tween the pivotally mounted pin pickup arm and its wing member when the arm engages a pin for shifting the switch member to open one pair of contacts and close the other pair of contacts, means including a pair of rollers engageable with the spiral cam portions of the cam surfaces on the wing members to move the pin pickup arms to spaced, generally parallel, pin engaging positions upon relative closing movement between said grids, the vertical portion of said cam surfaces thereafter permitting relative movement between the rollers and the cam surfaces without affecting the spaced parallel relationship of the arms, and means to move the pin pickup arms to withdrawn positions upon relative opening movement of the grids.

2. In a bowling pinsetter in combination, upper and lower spaced apart grids, pin pickup apparatus mounted between said grids including a vertically disposed post positioned between said grids, a pair of members rotatably mounted on the post and extending from opposite sides thereof, an elongated pin pickup arm mounted on each of said members in offset relation to the post, means pivotally mounting one of said pin pickup arms for relative movement with respect to its member, a spring positioned between said pivotally mounted pin pickup arm and its associated member urging the arm away from the member to a normal position, a switch box on the latter member and positioned above the pivotally mounted pin pickup arm, said switch box having two spaced pairs of contacts and a switch member for closing one pair of contacts when the pin pickup arm is in its normal position and for closing the other pair of contacts when the pin pickup arm is moved away from its normal position by engagement with a pin, means operable upon relative movement between the pivotally mounted pin pickup arm and its associated member when the arm engages a pin for shifting the switch member to open one pair of contacts and close the other pair of contacts, and means to move said pair of members and the pin pickup arms between limit positions including positions wherein the pickup arms diverge away from each other and spaced, generally parallel pin engaging positions.

3. In a bowling pinsetter in combination, upper and lower spaced apart grids, scissors-type pin pickup apparatus mounted between said grids including a verticallydisposed post positioned between said grids, a pair of members rotatably mounted on the post and extending from opposite sides thereof, an elongated pin pickup arm mounted on each of said members in offset relation to the post, spring means for normally moving said members to positions wherein the pin pickup arms diverge away from each other, means pivotally mounting an end of one of said pin pickup arms to its associated member for relative movement with respect thereto, a spring positioned between said pivotally mounted pin pickup arm and its associated member urging the arm away from the member to a limit position, a switch box on the latter member and positioned above the pivotally mounted pin pickup arm, said switch box having two spaced pairs of contacts and a switch member for closing one pair of contacts when the pivotally mounted pin pickup arm is in its limit position and for closing the other pair of contacts when the latter pin pickup arm is moved away from its limit position by engagement with a pin, means operable upon relative movement between the pivotally mounted pin pickup arm and its associated member when the the arm engages a pin for shifting the switch member to open one pair of contacts and close the other pair of contacts, and means to move the pin pickup arms only sufiicient distances toward each other to reach positions wherein they extend in spaced, generally parallel relationship to each other to close on a standing pin if there is one present.

4. In a bowling pinsetter in combination, upper and lower spaced apart grids, pin pickup apparatus including a vertically-disposed post positioned between said grids, a pair of members rotatably mounted on the post and extending from opposite sides thereof, an elongated pin pickup arm mounted on each of said members in offset relation to the post, means pivotally mounting one of said pin pickup arms for relative movement with respect to its member, spring means between said pivotally mounted pin pickup arm and its associated member urging the arm away from the member to a normal position, a switch box on the latter member and positioned above the pivotally mounted pin pickup arm, said switch box having a spaced pair of contacts and a switch member for closing said pair of contacts when the pivotally mounted pin pickup arm is in its normal position and for opening the pair of contacts when the latter pin pickup arm is moved away from its normal position by engagement with a pin, means operable upon relative movement between the pivotally mounted pin pickup arm and its associated member when the arm engages a pin for shifting the switch member to open said pair of contacts, and means to move said pair of members and the pin pickup arms between limit positions including positions wherein the arms diverge away from each other and parallel positions wherein the arms are spaced apart by approximately the diameter of the neck of a bowling pin.

5. Pin pickup apparatus comprising a pair of scissors type pickup arms, pivotally mounted members mounting said arms for movement between a withdrawn position wherein they diverge away from each other and a pin engaging position wherein they extend generally parallel, means mounting one of said arms for movement relative to its associated member, means for moving said arms between said positions and means for detecting the presence or absence of a standing pin between said arms as they are moved to pin engaging position, including switch means associated with one of said arms and having a switch member, a pair of normally closed contacts and a pair of normally open contacts, and means responsive to relative movement of said one arm upon the engagement of said one arm with a pin for shifting said switch member to open the normally closed contacts and close the normally open contacts.

6. Pin pickup apparatus comprising a pair of scissorstype pickup arms, means mounting said arms for movement between limit positions including a withdrawn position wherein they diverge from each other and a pin engaging position wherein they extend in spaced generally parallel relationship, means for moving said arms between said positions and means for detecting the absence of a standing pin between said arms as they are moved to pin engaging position including switch means associated with one of said arms and having a switch member, a pair of normally closed contacts and means for shifting said switch member upon the engagement of said arm with a pin for opening the normally closed contacts.

7. Ina bowling pin handling apparatus for picking up standing pins on a bowling alley, a pair of pin engaging members movable toward and away from each other between limit positions including withdrawn positions and pin engaging positions, means for moving the pin engaging members between said limit positions, means providing for relative movement between at least one of the pin engaging members and said moving means on engagement of said one member with a standing pin, and means responsive to said relative movement for determining the presence of a standing pin within the range of operation of the pin engaging members.

8. Pin pickup apparatus comprising a pair of pickup members, separate elements mounting said pickup members for movement between limit positions including a withdrawn position and a pin engaging position wherein they extend in spaced generally parallel relationship, means mounting one of said members for movement relative to its associated element, means for moving said pickup members between said limit positions and means for detecting the presence or absence of a standing pin between said pickup members as they are moved to pin engaging position including switch means associated with one of said pickup members and having a switch member, a pair of normally closed contacts and a pair of normally open contacts, and means responsive to relative movement of said one pickup member for shifting said switch member upon the engagement of said one pickup member with the pin for opening the normally closed contacts and closing the normally open contacts.

9. In a bowling pinsetter, in combination, upper and lower spaced apart grids, pin pickup apparatus mounted between said grids including a vertically disposed post extending between the upper and lower grids, a pair of wing members rotatably mounted on the post and each having a cam surface thereon including an upper spiral portion and a lower substantially vertical portion, a pin pickup arm mounted on each of said wing members to form a scissors type pickup, means mounting one of said pin pickup arms for relative movement with respect to its wing member on engagement of the arm with a standing pin, switch means operable in response to said relative movement, means including a pair of rollers engageable with the spiral portions of said cam surfaces to move the pin pickup arms to pin engaging positions upon relative closing movement between said grids, the vertical portions of said cam surfaces thereafter permitting relative movement between the rollers and the cam surfaces without affecting the positions of the pin pickup arms, and a carrier supporting said rollers and mounted on said post for sliding movement and rotation relative thereto for effecting either equal or unequal converging movements of said pin pickup arms to close on either an on-spot or an 0&- spot pin.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,595,988 Simpson May 6, 1952 2,616,693 Montooth Nov. 4, 1952 2,646,984 Patterson July 28, 1953 2,651,519 Weber et al. Sept. 8, 1953 2,672,340 Wells Mar. 16, 1954 

